The present invention relates broadly to an apparatus for transporting textile laps to a comber and, more particularly, to such a lap transporting apparatus utilizing an elevated bridge structure equipped with a lap gripping device for carrying textile laps from a lap storage station to the work stations of the comber.
Textile laps comprise a loosely compressed batt of cotton fibers produced by a picker, lapper or other suitable lap preparing machinery and wound about a central tubular supporting core. A conventional textile combing machine, commonly referred to as a comber, is typically equipped with a plurality of work stations each of which has a first position at which a wound lap is supported for unwinding from its core for accomplishment of the combing process and a second position at which a full lap is supported for temporary storage awaiting replacement of the active lap at the first position upon its exhaustion.
Lap transporting apparatus of the aforementioned type are known for delivering fully wound laps to the work stations of a series of combers so that the combing operation can progress on a generally continuous basis. Such transporting apparatus provides a trackway extending along the series of combers at an elevation thereabove with the bridge structure supported on the elevated trackway for traveling movement therealong. A trolley is mounted on the bridge structure for traveling movement along its lengthwise extent transverse to the direction of traveling movement of the bridge structure and a lap gripping mechanism is suspended from the trolley by an elevating mechanism for raising and lowering of the gripping mechanism for carrying laps to, and depositing laps at, the work stations of the combers.